Protective Edge Element

ABSTRACT

A protective element to be disposed adjacent an edge of an object such as a hat. The protective element may include one or more of a phosphor and an insect repellant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A hat is worn for various purposes. A hat may be worn for protective or other purposes, in construction, sports, military or government, and/or in outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, camping, and sunbathing. For example, the hat may be a hardhat worn for construction or mining.

There may be a need for a hat that provides one or more portions, such as a portion to provide protection to the wearer, such as by providing one or more of reinforcing the brim or other edge of the hat, repelling insects and/or other bugs, and/or illuminating to facilitate seeing the hat in the dark.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a protective element to be disposed adjacent the edge of a hat, or other object requiring protection The protective element may be an extruded or molded plastic profile that may be attached to a hat edge or another edge as an accessory. The protective element may be fluorescent colors and/or glow to add additional protection. The protective element may alternately or additionally include an additive to repel insects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is better understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters represent like elements, as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hardhat including a hardhat body and a protective element, in accordance with one embodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a C-shaped protective element that may be disposed adjacent the hardhat or another object, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a tubular protective element that may be disposed adjacent an object, in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a longitudinally split tubular protective element that may be disposed adjacent an object, in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an L-shaped protective element that may be disposed adjacent an object, in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a U-shaped protective element that may be disposed adjacent an object, in accordance with another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to embodiments of a hat including a protective element, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Details, features, and advantages of the hat including a protective element and related methods will become further apparent in the following detailed description of embodiments thereof.

Any reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “a certain embodiment,” or a similar reference to an embodiment is intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such terms in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. References to “or” are furthermore intended as inclusive, so “or” may indicate one or another of the ored terms or more than one ored term.

As used herein, the term “hat” includes any covering for the head, such as a hardhat, a ballcap, golf hat, or other cap, or any hat that may be worn for any purpose, such as in baseball, golf, or another sport, in the military or government, and/or in an outdoor activity, such as, for example, hunting, fishing, camping, and sunbathing. In addition, the hat may be a hardhat worn for construction or mining, or for another purpose.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the hat 10 in an embodiment that is a hardhat 15. The hardhat 15 may be a safety helmet for construction or industrial use or another desired helmet. The hat 10 may include a hat body 20 and a protective element 30.

The hat body 20 may be designed as desired. In various embodiments, the hat body 20 may be differently colored, such as with any standard, custom, and/or other color or colors. For example, in one embodiment, the hat body 20 may include one or more fluorescent colors. In another embodiment, the hat body 20 may include camouflage colors. The hat body 20 may be manufactured by any method desired and of any material desired.

The protective element 30 may furthermore be shaped and sized as desired. For example, the protective element 30 may be shaped as an endless element with a cylindrical cross-section or a cylindrical cross-section having a depression on one side, such that the protective element 30 becomes “C”-shaped or slotted. The protective element 30 may furthermore be sized to be disposed around the entirety of the brim 25 of the hat body 20 and may be disposed over the brim 25 of the hat 10, as shown in FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, the protective element 30 is disposed adjacent the brim 25 of the hat body 20. Such positioning may provide safety, protecting the brim 25, and thus the hat 10, if the hat 10 is impacted by, or otherwise contacts, another object, such as a falling rock, for example. In one such embodiment, the protective element 30 is disposed adjacent the entirety of the brim 25, providing protection to the entire brim 25. In such an embodiment, the protective element 30 may be endless, as described above, or may be a strip of protective element 30 material of a length that encompasses the hat 10 brim 25.

In another embodiment in which the protective element 30 is not endless, the protective element 30 may be disposed adjacent a portion of the brim 25, such as the front portion of the brim 25 near the wearer's face.

In the various embodiments, the protective element 30 may be shaped as a band or strap, flat or rounded on one side and grooved on the opposite side. The groove of the protective element 30 may form a channel or slot sized for interference fit with the brim 25 in such an embodiment. As such, the protective element 30 may be attached to the hat 10 by placing the groove of the protective element against the brim 25 of the hat 10 and pressing the protective element 30 onto the brim 25. Thus, the protective element 30 may be permanently affixed to the hat body 20 or removably attached to the hat body 20.

FIGS. 2-6 illustrate various shaped protective elements 30 for illustrative purposes, recognizing that either an endless or a non-endless protective element may be formed in any desired shape. Thus, for example, FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a C-shaped protective element 50, FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a tubular protective element 60, FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a longitudinally split tubular protective element 70, FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an L-shaped protective element 80, and FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a U-shaped protective element 90.

A non-endless protective element 30 may be a flexible strip of protective element that may be formed in any desired length or cut to a desired length. The protective element 30 may be molded, stretched, bent, or otherwise manipulated to fit a hat 10 or other desired object. The protective element 30 may furthermore be secured to the brim 25 or to another object as desired, such as by, for example, epoxy, tape, or any other method as desired.

In one embodiment, the protective element 30 includes a polymeric resin. The polymeric resin may be extruded or injection molded out of a material that includes one or more thermoplastics, or the protective element 30 or portions thereof may be otherwise formed. The material from which the protective element 30 is formed may include, for example, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Polyethylenes such as LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE, or MDPE, Polypropylene (PP), Polyurethane (TPU), Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPO, TPE, TPV), or other materials.

In one embodiment, the protective element 30 includes a phosphor. For example, the protective element 30 may include 30% phosphorescent added to Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) impregnated with 20% to 70% phosphorescent material, such as, for example, a Lumninova phosphorescent additive manufactured by Nemoto & Co. Ltd. of Japan and distributed in the United States of America by United Mineral & Chemical Corp. of 1100 Valley Brook Avenue, Lyndhurst, N.J. The protective element 30 may include one or more other phosphors as desired. In an embodiment, the protective element 30 may include one or more thermoplastic resins as desired impregnated with a phosphor.

In one embodiment, the protective element 30 includes an insect repellant. The insect repellant may repel insects and/or other organisms and may include citronella and/or another repellant. Thus, in an embodiment, the protective element 30 includes a polymeric resin impregnated with citronella and/or another insect repellant.

A protective element 30 may be included with or attached to various hats 10 in its various embodiments. For example, the hat 10 may include any covering for the head including, any hardhat or other type of safety hat, for example used in construction or mining; any kind of cap, such as a ballcap used in baseball, golf, and other sports; military helmets and head coverings; hats worn by government employees, including those worn by safety personnel; visors with or without a covering for the head; or any other hat 10 used for any of a variety of purposes. Those hats 10 too may include a hat body 20 that includes a brim 25 or other edge. A protective element 30 may be disposed adjacent a portion of or all of the brim 25 or other edge of such a hat 10. The protective element 30 may be shaped, colored, and otherwise customized, such as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. Also as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, the protective element 30 may include a polymer resin, and the polymer resin may include one or more of a phosphor and an insect repellant. The polymer resin may be impregnated by the phosphor and/or insect repellant. The particular polymer resin, fluorescent color, phosphor and/or insect repellant may be selected and constructed as desired to form the protective element, such as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, for example.

In other embodiments, another element may be substituted for a hat. For example, a piece of clothing or a toy may include a protective element, such as described with respect to the protective element 30 above. It should be recognized that the protective element 30 may be shaped, colored, and otherwise customized as best suited to the desired application.

For example, a phosphor impregnated protective element 30 may be applied to one or more spokes of a bicycle wheel to warn oncomers of the presence of the bicycle in dark conditions. Similarly, protective elements 30 could be applied to edges of scooters or skateboards, to edges of boards or metal sheets to protect those edges or people or things that may contact those edges, or to a light switch plate to identify the location of the light switch.

It will also be appreciated that features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to another, whether explicitly indicated. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A protective element including an insect repellant, the protective element to be disposed adjacent the edge of a hat.
 2. The protective element of claim 1, further comprising a hat body, the hat body having an edge disposed adjacent the protective element.
 3. The protective element of claim 1, the protective element further comprising a polymeric resin, the polymeric resin impregnated with the insect repellant.
 4. The protective element of claim 2, the insect repellant comprising citronella.
 5. The protective element of claim 1, the protective element further comprising a phosphor.
 6. The protective element of claim 1, wherein the hat is a hardhat.
 7. The protective element of claim 1, wherein the hat is a cap.
 8. The protective element of claim 1, wherein the edge includes a brim and the protective element is disposed adjacent the brim.
 9. The protective element of claim 1, wherein the edge includes a brim and the protective element is disposed adjacent the entire brim.
 10. The protective element of claim 1, wherein the protective element is shaped as an endless cylinder.
 11. The protective element of claim 1, the protective element further comprising a polymeric resin, wherein the polymeric resin is selected from one of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, Polyethylene, and Polypropylene.
 12. A protective element to be disposed adjacent an edge, the protective element comprising a phosphor.
 13. The protective element of claim 12, further comprising a hat body, the hat body having an edge disposed adjacent the protective element.
 14. The protective element of claim 12, the protective element further comprising a polymeric resin, the polymeric resin impregnated with the phosphor.
 15. The protective element of claim 12, the protective element further comprising citronella.
 16. The protective element of claim 13, wherein the hat is a hardhat.
 17. The protective element of claim 13, wherein the hat is a cap.
 18. The protective element of claim 12, wherein the edge includes a brim, the protective element disposed adjacent the brim.
 19. The protective element of claim 12, wherein the protective element is shaped as an endless cylinder.
 20. A hardhat, comprising: a hardhat having a body and a brim; and a protective element, the protective element including a polymeric resin impregnated with a phosphor, the protective element disposed adjacent the brim of the hardhat body. 